This to-die-for glazed lemon bundt cake recipe features luscious buttery lemon cake infused with lemon syrup, drizzled with a lemon glaze and topped off with a sprinkling of lemon sugar! A HEAVENLY bundt cake recipe.
Showstopper Lemon Bundt Cake With Lemon Glaze
In my opinion, bundt cakes are highly underrated... I mean, not only are they insanely easy to make, but the variety of gorgeous pans make your cake look spectacular all on its own.
Meaning you can forgo using any frosting altogether. Naked cakes are TOTALLY in these days!
OR you can also dress up a bundt cake by decorating it with glazes, syrups, sprinkles, infused sugars, and more. All of these serve to highlight the beautifully patterned top, instead of covering it up.
For example, this glazed lemon bundt cake with its lemon icing LOOKS impressive and like you spent a TON of time on it. But in reality, it's an easy recipe for bundt cake that even beginners can tackle!
The buttery lemon cake part of this recipe for a lemon bundt cake can totally stand on its own. Or you can use any combination of the lemon syrup, glaze, and/or sugar that sounds good to you.
But when you go all-in with ALL three? This lemon bundt cake is a total SHOWSTOPPER!! Also? You should really make it for the lemon lover in your life right now...
Which Bundt Pan Is The Best?
If you're new to baking bundt cakes, I suggest starting with a classic bundt cake pan. The simple shape and nonstick finish make removing a bundt cake from pan much easier. Be sure to also carefully read through the bundt cake tips I've provided after the recipe card.
After you've figured out the ins and outs for how to release a bundt cake from a pan, you can move on to the more intricate pans. They can be tricky, and you have to be even more careful to grease them well. But the tradeoff is worth it for the beautiful designs!
For the lemon bundt cake pictured in this post, I used this heritage bundt cake pan. But I've got my eye on this adorable jubilee bundt cake pan as my next purchase.
I could seriously get a little crazy with collecting ALL the bundt cake pans! And apparently a lot of bakers do...
The Best Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
Just about any cake recipe can be adapted to be baked in a bundt pan. But if you're searching for a truly fabulous recipe to try your pan out, this lemon bundt cake recipe is IT!
With its tender crumb, moist texture, and bright, tangy lemon flavor, it's the cake that everyone will be asking you to make again and again.
My kids ask me to make it ALL the time - birthdays, holidays, Sunday dinners, and for no special reason at all. Whether you're looking for spring bundt cake recipes or the perfect bundt cake for Easter, this is it! It's just THAT GOOD...
How To Decorate A Bundt Cake
So I know I said that bundt cakes don't really need any adornment - and I stand by that. Typically I just give them a dusting of powdered sugar and call it good. It highlights their swoops and swirls beautifully!
But I couldn't resist topping this lemon bundt cake off with a drizzle of glossy lemon glaze and a generous sprinkle of lemon sugar on top. However, you can easily skip them both and still wow your guests. The real star of the show is the luscious buttery lemon cake, which is infused with simple lemon syrup after baking.
Right now I bet you're thinking, "Infused with lemon syrup? Come on, Tara - that sounds kind of difficult..." But, I promise it's a LOT less time intensive than it sounds, and I think you'll adore the results!
A Couple Of Quick Nots
- If you want to make this cake with lemon glaze as pictured, I recommend preparing the lemon simple syrup while your cake is baking. Then prepare both the lemon glaze and lemon sugar while it's cooling.
- You'll need a total of four fresh lemons that you've scrubbed clean. I suggest choosing organic lemons if at all possible, since you'll be zesting them. The zest from three of the lemons will go into the cake batter, and the zest from the remaining lemon will be used in the lemon sugar.
How To Make Lemon Syrup
The lemon syrup I infuse in this lemon bundt cake is essentially just a basic recipe for simple syrup with one change. It uses lemon juice instead of water, which gives a bright, zingy flavor.
Mix together the juice of three fresh lemons (about ½ cup) with half cup of granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the lemon simple syrup has thickened slightly to a pure maple syrup consistency. Allow it to cool.
BTW, this simple lemon syrup recipe is also a fabulous way to infuse some extra lemony flavor in lemon poppy seed muffins!
How To Make Lemon Glaze For Bundt Cake
Making a glaze for a lemon bundt cake is also just as simple! Fresh lemon juice adds a bit of tang to this easy lemon glaze made with confectioners' sugar.
To make this lemon glaze for cake, mix together ¾ cup confectioners' sugar and one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Slowly add additional lemon juice, about a teaspoon at a time until the glaze reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
This simple recipe for lemon glaze icing is super versatile! Use it on pound cake, cookies, lemon scones, lemon quick bread, and more.
How To Make Lemon Sugar
Last but not least, this lemon infused sugar is a gorgeous finishing touch on this lemon bundt cake! The lemon zest sugar combo adds another layer of lemon flavor, along with a satisfying bit of crunchy texture.
Making this infused lemon sugar could not be easier. Simply stir together the remaining zest of one lemon with tablespoon of granulated sugar with a fork. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to infuse.
Triple Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
I get it... Infusing this lemon bundt cake recipe with lemon syrup, then drizzling on a lemon glaze, and finally sprinkling lemon sugar over it IS a bit decadent and over the top. But you don't HAVE to make all three (although I HIGHLY recommend it!).
If you're pressed for time or even just feeling a little lazy, which I totally get, PLEASE at least make the lemon syrup. TOTALLY. WORTH. IT!!
Printable Recipe ↓
Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the lemon cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter - cubed
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 large lemons - zested and juiced (divided)
For the lemon syrup:
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
For the lemon bundt cake glaze (optional):
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - plus another teaspoon or so
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
For the lemon sugar (optional):
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350℉. Grease a bundt cake pan with shortening and dust it well with flour.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together on high until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding the last egg, to ensure everything is mixed well.
- Add the baking powder and continue to beat on medium. Alternate adding a heaping ½ cup of the flour with ¼ cup of the milk, finishing with the remaining flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat on low to ensure everything is mixed well. Fold in 3 tablespoons of the lemon zest.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan until ¾ full, taking care not to create any air pockets. Tap the pan on the countertop a few times, and smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.
- Bake the cake at 350℉ for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you're infusing the cake with lemon syrup, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, allow the bundt cake to cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan.
For the lemon syrup:
- While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon syrup by boiling ½ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ cup sugar over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the syrup has thickened slightly to a pure maple syrup consistency. Set aside to cool.
- After the cake is done baking, poke holes in the top of the cake with a skewer or fork, taking care not to hit the bottom of the pan. Slowly pour the cooled lemon syrup over the top.
- Allow the cake to cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes before attempting to remove the bundt cake from the pan. This is a good time to prepare the lemon glaze and lemon sugar, if desired.
- Place a cooling rack on top of the bundt pan, and flip it over to remove the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
For the lemon glaze (optional):
- Mix together ¾ cup confectioners sugar and one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Slowly add additional lemon juice, about one teaspoon total, until the glaze reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
- Slowly drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cooled cake.
For the lemon sugar (optional):
- Mix together one tablespoon lemon zest and one tablespoon of sugar with a fork. Let it sit for a few minutes to infuse.
- Sprinkle over the top of the cake immediately after glazing.
Recipe Notes
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Lemon Bundt Cake Tips For The Prettiest Cakes
Making a bundt cake should not be intimidating. So if you're worried about how to get a bundt cake out of the pan, I've got some helpful bundt cake baking tips to share. These are useful for this lemon bundt cake, as well as pretty much any bundt cake recipe.
Spoiler: it all starts with the prep.
How To Prepare A Bundt Pan
Taking care to prepare the bundt pan well is the first step to ensure that your cake releases from the pan easily. Use a pastry brush to grease the bundt pan well with shortening, making sure to get into all of the crevices. Then dust it with flour or cocoa powder, depending on the flavor of cake you're preparing. For this lemon bundt cake recipe, you'll obviously want to choose flour.
Another option is to spray the bundt cake pan well with a product like Baker's Joy.
How Full To Fill A Bundt Cake Pan
To avoid making a mess of your oven, fill the pan to the proper level. Boxed cake mixes and even bundt cake recipes can vary, so fill your bundt cake pan no more than ¾ of the way full to avoid overflow.
Spoon the lemon bundt cake batter into the pan and tap it gently on your countertop after filling. Air pockets in your batter can leave holes in your finished cake. This well help release any air bubbles that may have formed. Finally, use a spatula to even out the surface of the batter.
How Long To Bake A Bundt Cake At 350 Degrees
Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place the filled bundt pan on a rimmed cookie sheet for baking. This helps to ensure that the pan is sitting level, as well as to catch any excess batter should your cake overflow.
How Do You Know When A Bundt Cake Is Done?
I suggest that you start checking your bundt cake for doneness about 8-10 minutes before the baking time stated in your recipe. For this lemon bundt cake, you'll want to start checking it when it's been baking for about 45 minutes.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to see if it's fully set. As soon as the toothpick comes out clean and crumb-free, it's time to remove your cake.
Bake your bundt cake just until done, as over baking can make it difficult to remove the cake from the pan. The most common reason reason for over baking is that your oven runs hotter than the temperature you've set it to. You may want to pick up an oven thermometer to check the true temperature.
How To Remove Cake From Bundt Pan
Remove the bundt cake from the oven set it on a wire cooling rack. For this lemon bundt cake recipe, now is when you will poke holes in the cake and pour the lemon syrup over it.
For all bundt cakes, allow your cake to cool for 10 minutes before trying to remove it from the pan. After cooling, tap the cake pan on the countertop and shake it gently to help it release. Then place a wire cooling rack on top of the cake pan and flip the whole thing over.
Since you prepared your bundt pan well, it should release easily from the pan. If it doesn't pop right out, let it set for 5 to 10 minutes and let gravity loosen the cake. Allow your cake to cool completely before glazing.
See, it's really not so hard! Your gorgeous lemon bundt cake should slide right out of the bundt pan.
And if for some reason it doesn't? You can salvage it by turning it into a yummy trifle. Just cut it into chunks and top them with some whipped cream and fresh fruit. Fresh raspberries would be excellent!
Happy Baking!!
More Zingy Lemon Recipes
If you like this lemon bundt cake recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious lemon recipes with bold flavor:
- Poppy Seed Lemon Scones Recipe
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Glazed Lemon Bread Recipe
- Classic Lemon Bar Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
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Terry says
My husband loves lemon desserts so I made this for his birthday. Turned out OK, but the infusion with the lemon syrup didn't go quite as I expected. It took a long time for the sugar/lemon juice mixture to reduce by half. Once cooled it was a thick syrup that really didn't seep down into the cake but sort of pooled on top. And because we're removing the cake from the pan after 10 minutes, there wasn't a lot of time for it to seep down. I'm thinking I may have boiled the lemon juice and sugar too long. Your thoughts?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Terry - I'm sorry the cake didn't turn out quite as expected. It does sound like the syrup was boiled too long, which resulted in it being too thick to really infuse the cake. The consistency should be similar to real maple syrup, which is a bit on the thin side. I will add a note to the recipe to clarify this. I hope that you will give it another try in the future!
Ann says
Excellent!...I only added the sugar glaze. Also, I only used 1 1/2 c. sugar and it was perfectly sweet for me. Thanks so much! - Ann
Diane says
Fantastic recipe did not put the lemon glaze on my cake was outstanding anyway. Use the regular Bundt pan and followed your directions carefully. Thank you so much for sharing. Absolutely delicious.
Tara Kuczykowski says
This makes me SO happy, Diane. Thanks for sharing!
Jessie says
Two cups of sugar? After 22 years in Europe I think that will be way too sweet. Do you think I could cut that amount in half without affecting the outcome? I have cut Sugar in my moms banana bread recipe from 2 cups to 3/4 cup with success but that has a different texture than cake and ripe bananas are also quite sweet.
Thanks!!!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Jessie! Two cups of sugar for a cake recipe is quite common, but I can totally understand wanting to cut it back some. As a general baking rule, you should be able to cut back by about 25% without affecting the texture. Using that rule, you can try reducing the sugar to 1.5 cups. Hope it turns out well for you!
KC says
I love my heritage bundt pan, but I'm having some issues. Many times the ridges on the cake become too hard, right after baking. Any reason this could happen? I follow the recipe religiously.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi KC! The very edges of mine do get a little "crispy, but not the whole ridge. If you don't have one already, I'd recommend picking up an oven thermometer to make sure you oven is properly calibrated. I'd also recommend paying very close attention to how done your cake is in the last few minutes of baking (see tip #3 above).
KC says
Thanks. I'll keep trying. Could placement in the oven also affect this? Lower or higher rack?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oh, that certainly could affect it! I normally place mine on a sheet pan on the middle rack.
KC says
Thanks again, I will raise the pan. It's sitting a bit low.
Samina says
That cake looks so very spring-ish & delicious. I'm printing the recipe right now. By the way, I never realized that there were so many bundt pan versions. I've got the old basic, but I'm really digging that Jubilee version.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Right? I could get a little crazy ordering pans — I want them ALL! Hope you love it, too, Samina! I know we're all looking forward to another slice after dinner tonight. :)